Original version

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Documentary

Documentaries

Factual

The Documentary Podcast

Investigating global developments, issues and affairs.

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service East Asia

The Documentary: Compassion fatigue

Compassion fatigue

31/01/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Compassion fatigue

Are people in the medical and humanitarian professions suffering from emotional burnout?

Compassion fatigue has long been an issue for people in the medical and humanitarian professions. People often enter those worlds because of a desire to care, and to be compassionate towards others, but often compassion is tested to the limits. What does compassion fatigue mean for both those suffering from emotional burnout, and those on the receiving end?

We hear from doctors, humanitarians, and experts who explain why compassion is a finite resource. While compassion can motivate us, using it up can lead to disaster and disconnect.

We explore whether a diet of death and destruction turns people away from news, and if shock advertising works for charities, or if it just adds to a feeling of helplessness and inaction. We ask if social media has further eroded our sense of compassion to strangers, and if compassion is even necessary online, where the rules seem so different to those offline.

We also hear from climate activists who argue that we need to move away from shock campaigning and “flies in the eyes” advertising, and reinforce the individual’s responsibility to affect change at a local level. But, is this realistic, and does pulling at the heartstrings actually lead to the most impactful outcomes?

(Photo: Iranian nurse on Covid-19 frontline strives to keep work-life balance. Credit: Reuters)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Documentary

Compassion fatigue

Genres

Brand

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

About BBC World Service